Jumpsuit : c/o Tiare Hawaii

Our recent trip to Jordan was absolutely incredible and this beautiful country easily goes down in the list of my top fave places we have visited before. Jordan has always been very VERY high on my bucket list, I even mentioned it in this blog post earlier this year and I am so thrilled we got a chance to visit it. Of course the main reason it was on my list was cos of Petra, but after having done my research on it and also having visited this place, I can tell you that it has SO much to offer! From the beach to the desert to history, a trip to Jordan is sure to give you the most diverse experience. In this post, I’ll be covering some general tips that you might find helpful if you are planning a trip to Jordan or even hopefully inspire you to plan a trip out here. Don’t forget to check out my video at the end of the post!

How to get there?

If you are flying directly into Jordan, there are tons of flights that fly into the capital Amman, which has the biggest International airport in the country. We entered Jordan by a land crossing from Israel and then flew out of Amman after our trip. If you are doing a land crossing like we did from Israel here are some tips we can share from our experience :

• There are 3 border crossings between Israel and Jordan. After our trip to Tel Aviv, we took a quick flight to Eilat in Israel in the South and crossed to Jordan via the Wadi Araba Crossing/South Border, located in the south connecting the two Red Sea towns of Eilat in Israel and Aqaba in Jordan.
• Once you get to the border, you first finish emmigration/passport formalities on the Israeli side and actually walk across from one border to the other.
• When you enter Jordan, you will again have to do border crossing formalities on the Jordan side.
• Most countries have a visa on arrival for Jordan, but its definitely a good idea to check beforehand.
• Another tip to share is based on what places you are visiting in Jordan it might be worth it to look into the “Jordan Pass”, this covers your visa fees as well as entrance fees to about 30 attractions in Jordan including Petra and Wadi Rum.

How to get around in Jordan ?

While renting a car and driving on your own is an option, my recommendation to get around in Jordan is to rent a car with a driver so you can get around the country with ease. For our entire trip we booked a private car and driver with STI Jordan aka Monaco Business Development  and were extremely happy with the impeccable service. You can book their service for day trips or even a couple of days like we did. The price would depend on your itinerary and includes the fees for the English speaking driver as well as fuel and other taxes. Our amazing driver Kamel, was very friendly, knowledgable, safe, patient and most importantly so accommodating of all our needs (especially me 🙂 cos I would show him screenshots of photo opps that I wanted and he would gladly take us there ). He also had the best insider tips for all places that we visited that we found very helpful.

Having a professional and reliable service like this made our trip so much more enjoyable and we loved that we could tailor our itinerary based on what we wanted to see. Travel professionals from STI Jordan would also advice you on the best itinerary that might suit you based on how many days you have and what you want to cover. When I first booked the service online, they were super prompt and responsive from the very beginning and I was pleased at their exceptional level of professionalism. It is no surprise that they are the no 1 transport company in Amman as per Tripadvisor. The car itself was clean, comfy and AC (a blessing if you are visiting Jordan in summer like we did!) Overall I absolutely loved their service and can’t recommend their services enough if you ever visit Jordan.

When to visit ?

The high season is usually March – May when temperatures all across Jordan are just perfect. We went in the end of summer (Sept) and were prepared for the extreme heat! The good thing about going in summer is that its considered low season so you might get luckier in terms of prices, but you have to be prepped for the heat as it gets – very VERY hot during the day. I honestly don’t mind extreme heat over extreme cold so it didn’t seem to bother me too much. During the winters too the weather can be extreme and it gets very cold especially in the desert.

Favorite spots to cover in Jordan :

We spent 4 days and 3 nights in Jordan. We started South from Wadi Rum and made our way up north to Amman stopping along the way. Here is the rough itinerary we mapped out :

Day 1 : Wadi Rum, overnight at Sun City Camp

Day 2 : Petra full day, drive over late evening to Dead sea just to stay overnight at Dead Sea Spa Hotel

Day 3 : Explore Dead Sea and wadi Mujib, overnight at Dead Sea Spa Hotel

Day 4 : Leave from Amman International airport

Here are my absolute fave spots in Jordan :

1 ) Wadi Rum :

I can tell you without a doubt that of all the places we covered in Jordan Wadi Rum was both Anush and my favorite!! And its easily now one of my favorite places in the world. This dreamy desert is absolutely surreal and a must visit. If you do visit, definitely stay overnight in the desert for the ultimate Bedouin experience. We stayed at the outerwordly Sun City Camp and it was by far one of the most unique and memorable stays I have had in my life period! You can find more on our stay at Sun City Camp as well as our experience in beautiful Wadi Rum in this blog post here. 

2 ) Petra :

No visit to Jordan is complete without a visit to this wonder of the world. Petra is beyond magical and mystical in every way and totally makes you feel like you travelled back in time to step into a different era. We did only a day trip here, but I would recommend staying atleast one night if you have more time, so you can split your visit to the magnificent park over two days. Read more on our day exploring Petra in this blog post here. 

3) Dead Sea Jordan :

The Dead Sea is such a special destination. Aside from crossing off the “float in the middle of the dead sea” goal that I had I am glad I got to experience the benefits of this premiere health and wellness destination. The unique climate of the Dead Sea with the combination of the very therapeutic air, salt, mud and the sea water has made it one of the best Medical Destinations in the world for Alternative Health and Holistic Healing. More on Dead Sea Jordan and our stay at Dead Sea Spa Hotel in my blog post here.

4) Wadi Mujib :

Close to Dead sea and a must visit for a unique canyoning experience. Scroll down to the end of this blog post for more.

5) If you have additional days to spend in Jordan – I highly highly recommend adding these spots to your list :

• Jerash : A close second to Petra, is the ancient city of Jerash, which boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. Its aptly nicknamed “Rome away from Rome” for its incredible Roman ruins. My mom visited Jerash on her visit to Jordan earlier this year and her photos looked so stunning.
• Umm Qais : Another historic city, Umm Qais is one of the Decapolis – ten major Roman cities.
• Aqaba (on the Red Sea) : excellent for snorkeling/diving and glorious beaches.
• Amman : The capital of Jordan this city is a fascinating city of contrasts – a unique blend of old and new.
• Mount Nebo and Madaba : Close to Amman, Madaba is known to be the “city of mosaics”, as it is filled with the most beautiful collection of Byzantine-era mosaics. Strolling through this ancient market town of Madaba is known to be very delightful!

Other tips :

• Most people speak English and locals are extremely friendly. We felt safe everywhere we went.
• Jordan is a moderate Muslim Country, so I was always aware of what I wore. It was also peak summer so there’s no way I could be all covered up either. Maxis, cotton pants, linen tops, etc would be ideal both for the climate and the culture. And at the beach (dead sea, etc) you can certainly wear a swimsuit. Most hotel beaches are also private. For the most part I had no problem, but always carried a scarf in my bag to cover my shoulders if need be.
• If you are travelling in the summer, be prepped for the weather cos the heat is seriously no joke. It was one of the hottest places we have been to so far. Make sure to always carry and apply sunscreen, hat or a scarf to cover your head and always keep hydrating.

Leaving you with this recap video of our unforgettable trip to Jordan! Hope this convinces you to add this magical country to your bucket list.

Thanks for stopping by! xoxo

Jyo

**This trip was in collaboration with Dead Sea Spa Hotel, Sun City Camp and Destination Jordan but all thoughts and opinions are my own.